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It’s the final episode of Lady First Singapore – Season 3! You can still watch it on TV – hit the VOD button – if you’re a StarHub subscriber. 🙂 I love how the team leaves us with great tips in this last episode to help us stay pretty 24/7… almost. Socialite Jamie, for instance, shared how she uses lavender oil to help her relax and fall asleep at night. Dawn also taught us some breathing exercises to do at bedtime:

Press down on your right nostril and breathe in and out through the left one:

*To help you stay awake when you are feeling sleepy, do the reverse: press down on the left nostril instead.

STRETCH… and breathe deeply into each stretch

Avoid using your computer, handphones and other digital devices before bedtime. So difficult, I know. Also, sleep facing the ceiling, instead of sleeping on your side which will lead to the formation of wrinkles (apparently these aren’t just the temporary ones). When you get sufficient sleep, your hormones are in balance and you don’t end up over-eating throughout the day. Weight gain is quite common for people who usually don’t get enough sleep.

Other Issues:

(1) Water Rentention: Drink coffee, and use a fat-burning massage cream on the problem areas (e.g. legs). The one that Kevin recommended has guarana extract, which supposedly has 3 times as much caffeine as coffee, thus aiding the fat-burning process. Use a 3D slimming gel for a tightening effect.

(2) Difficulties Falling Asleep: If you find that it’s hard for you to go to sleep because of an over-active mind, perhaps take a bath with water at 36 or 37 degrees Celsius. Try to get 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. One way is by keeping your bedroom as dark as possible – it’ll help you enter “Dreamland” easily. 🙂

(3) Puffy Face: Try to reduce your sodium intake if you find your face looking puffy even if you didn’t drink much water before going to bed. Jamie also recommends an electrotherapy device for a V-shaped face. Use a warm orange tone concealer for the under-eye area, and some contouring makeup products too. A lipstick in a redder tone will give the illusion of a “smaller face”. *wink*

Not all of us can afford to be like Jamie who drinks birds nest before she even brushes her teeth in the morning. But what we can do is to take our vitamin pills after breakfast and put on suitable clothing so we can sleep comfortably. We may not all end up looking like a pampered tai-tai, but we most certainly can strive to look our best! 🙂

It’s almost the end of Season 3, and what better time to celebrate “power women” (a much better term compared to “office ladies” or “OLs”)? Office workers have to deal with extremes in temperature (air-conditioned offices versus the blazing hot sun outside when they head out for lunch) and they also tend to work long hours every day. On top of that, they have to worry about how they look.

Kevin recommends black-rimmed glasses for a scholarly look and pearls with a ‘young vibe’. Also, thin bracelets and ring sets are ‘in’ this season. *wink*

I like how dark-rimmed glasses serve to hide dark undereye circles too. 😀

Office workers also tend to accumulate fat around the lower part of their bodies. So exercise is important, especially exercises that can be done within the office. Leg raises, for instance, while holding the back of a chair (or the photocopier). Or you can try to ‘sit’ on an imaginary chair – it’ll definitely work those leg muscles as you try to hold that pose.

For the adventurous, grab the sides of your seat and lift your bum off the chair (and your feet off the ground). Once again, try to ‘hold’ the pose. Hehe! This exercise is definitely not easy – I’ve done it before! 😀

As for the fashion aspect of things, professional-looking simple jackets are best. And here’s an important note: DO NOT hold your handbags as shown in the picture above as this will lead to creases forming on your (expensive) leather jacket around the elbow area! Similarly, DO NOT carry it at the shoulder area too.

A small sling bag is best, if you want to prevent aching shoulder muscles!

Finally, make sure you get enough exercise everyday. Take the stairs when possible. Also, carve some time out of your schedule to relax… 🙂 I recommend having a spa experience at home every night, with the use of the right products – it could be an aromatherapy diffuser, or a shampoo or body lotion with an awesome, relaxing scent.

*To check out the products featured in this episode, head over here: http://ladyfirstsingapore.com/featured-products/episode-8-10-nov-beauty-hacks-power-women

There is no doubt that first impressions are important. And this episode of Lady First Singapore demonstrates this clearly. From socialite Jamie Chua’s impeccable outfit (and hairdo) to 19-year-old Zhenxiang’s trouble with hereditary white hair, we come to understand that the image we portray has a huge effect on how others perceive us.

In some cases, the remedies are simple. Take Zhenxiang’s white hair, for instance. Guru Wu Li Yin’s recommendation is to use Men’s Bigen Cream Color and to apply some moisturizing lotion along the hairline before you start dyeing your hair. Just like that, Zhenxiang is able to dye his hair black within a short span of 5 minutes.

For the other guests, it’s not quite as straightforward:

1) Keely and I share one thing in common when it comes to makeup: We do not like the sticky feeling of lipstick. Yup. And I definitely detest having hair sticking to my lips after a gust of wind blows past. However, it is important to keep lips looking clean and moisturized, so a lip scrub can be helpful. The cleansing beads in facial scrubs may be too large and too harsh for your lips, so get one that’s just for the lip area, where the skin can be thinner than our eyelids, according to guru Clarence.

2) If you are a young man about to meet potential in-laws, remember that slick hairstyles are NOT suitable. You want a look that portrays trustworthiness so avoid going with the ‘bad boy’ look.

3) If you are a slightly more mature woman, avoid what Lina did by wearing a white dress and going with a makeup look that had her cheeks and eyes looking too pink. In fact, her skin tone is pretty dark so it doesn’t make any sense to have extremely pink cheeks. Clarence’s suggestion is to apply blusher in a circular motion, or use downward strokes, to ensure it blends in well. And, of course, pick the right shade of blusher!

You can also consider using a micro-blur product to cover wrinkles around the eye area, a glow creator to add a bit of sparkle to your look, but definitely always apply makeup according to your age.

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To check out the products featured in this episode (I already want to buy a few of them), take part in contests, and find out what the next episode is about, head over to http://www.starhub.com/ladyfirstsg.

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This episode probably gives ‘hope’ to a lot of women (and maybe, men too). 😀 And there’s a special guest (Rosina Lam, an actress from Hong Kong) who is absolutely gorgeous. If you’ve missed the episode, you can still watch it ‘on demand’ as a StarHub subscriber. *wink*

I’ve learnt a lot from this episode of Lady First Singapore. The most interesting nugget of information I’ve gleaned is about the signs of ageing, and where they appear. Apparently, they can be observed in places like your heels, neck, skin, dark circles & eyebags, hands, and crow’s feet at the corners of your eyes. And truth be told, I really don’t pay much attention to any of these (other than the eye area).

But just by making small tweaks here and there, from the color of your eyeliner to the shape of your eyebrows, you can achieve a significantly younger look. Choose the right brow shape for your face, and the right brow color to match your hair color:

Xiao Kai’s advice to us ladies is to exercise, stay cheerful and to drink more water. Also, it’s important to exfoliate and moisturize our skin. You’ll definitely not want sallow and tired-looking skin.

If your skin tone is already yellow-ish, Xiao Kai recommends products with Areginine essence, hyaluronic acid, and seaweed extracts. You can head over to StarHub’s Lady First website for more details on the products – link below.

When applying mascara, guru Clarence’s recommendation is to pick waterproof mascaras if your eyelashes have a tendency to become droopy. I have to disagree with him about the choice of color for the eyeliner though… Maybe it looks good off-screen, but on a TV screen it looks like Candyce has some sort of eye infection:

And oh… Graphic tees are IN this season so go ahead and experiment with colors:

I love watching Lady First Singapore as the show is packed with so many useful tips regarding beauty and fashion, and also because the host Pauline Lan is such a brutally honest person (OMG I love her honesty so much!), she has no qualms in engaging in a bit of self-deprecating humor, and she’s a great host who knows when her guest isn’t very proficient in Mandarin and needs her to take charge of the conversation. Episode 4 ranks as one of my favorites! 😀

According to Lady First SG’s gurus, over-the-top headpieces are not recommended, and BIG hair makes short ladies with small faces look like they have big heads…

The second thing I’ve learnt from this episode is that the “bed head look” is not exactly easy to achieve. And you thought all it took was to tumble out of bed, yeah? 😛

You’ll need hairstyling tongs to curl your hair, and you’ll also need to use products to achieve that volume. One thing to note here is to leave the first 5cm of hair (from the roots) untouched when you start curling your hair. And keep away from windy places, or the look you tried so hard to achieve might get ruined. 😀

If you want to look like you have a small waist, tuck in those tees instead of having them hang out loosely. Also, outfits with little cutouts are sexy – just ensure they flatter your figure instead of exposing belly fat! 😀

And if you have a really full figure, avoid clothes which are too tight, and those which are too loose! And you’ll have to work both on your diet as well as your exercise plan – spend at least 30 minutes per day exercising!

Eating too little affects your metabolism so don’t think of starving yourself, ya! To check out the featured products and take part in the Lady First SG contests, head over to starhub.com/ladyfirstsg! 🙂

This third episode is all about helping ladies to look stunning and get all the attention they crave. The street survey that was done to find out which part of a female’s body men think they look at first was not quite successful it seems, with many of the men interviewed keeping to the safe choice of “her eyes”.

However, the show gives good tips as usual. In the picture above, Candyce swops her frumpy outfit for a sexy, off-shoulder one. If you don’t want to show any cleavage, Keith’s advice is to flaunt your back instead. Apparently, saggy muscles and fats are not as obvious there and the skin on our backs tend to be the fairest and prettiest.

And here are a couple more tips:

(1) Qianyu has hereditary white hair so she recommends the hair dye from one of the show’s sponsors. Guru Wu Yilin shares that color #4 is good for Asians and that you can keep the bottle in a ziplock bag for the next application (and to store it in a cool, dark place, away from the moisture present in a bathroom).

(2) Don’t wear over-the-top accessories like Hayley in the ‘before’ picture. Do note though that pearls are in this season so ensure you get some hair accessories with pearl highlights!

(3) Hair should be black and shiny. If your hair is ‘yellowish’ and/or too oily, consider using a latherfree shampoo and the raspberry vinegar featured in this episode.

(4) When spraying on perfumes, spray it along your neckline, at the wrists, behind the ears, and at the crook of your elbows. Do not rub, as it destroys the scent! And when purchasing perfumes, spray it on, then walk about the store and let the scent settle first. If you are pleased with the way it finally smells on your skin, then you may go ahead and purchase it.

(5) Pauline Lan described one of the female guests as having “strange” hair and a “really petite” frame. The latter is reportedly 1.47m tall, so Keith put her in these really “thick shoes”. The white pantsuit did give an elongating effect, but I pity any woman who has to wear such shoes as the arch is too extreme and it would be really easy to get a sprain or twisted ankle.

To find out more about the episodes, giveaways, and featured products, head over to ladyfirstsingapore.com 😀

This second episode of season 3 seems to be a first for Lady First Singapore, in which celebrity moms are invited and they bring their young children with them! As you can see from the picture above, the kids are not quite content to stay seated. There’s Jaime Teo’s daughter in the midst of vacating her seat, and Eelyn’s son could be heard screaming during a good portion of the show. Lina and Shuqing’s children were less… erm… active.

But it’s interesting to watch how the moms react to their kids’ behavior during the filming. 🙂

Gurus Kevin, Dawn, and Keith dished out advice for moms who want to look their best even after having children. Here are some tips I’ve gotten from watching this episode:

1) If you don’t want to have an uneven skin tone, make sure you wear sunscreen (and ensure it covers your neck and collar bone).

2) Applying too much loose powder makes you look like you have too much makeup on and it also makes your fine lines more visible. If you have dull or sallow skin, don’t use pink lipstick. Instead, pick a coral shade.

3) If you want to adopt Victoria Beckham’s fashion style, choose outfits with high necklines so it’s harder for kids to grab at your clothes when you carry them. Choose clothes in bright colors too if you’re not wearing any accessories (again because the kids will grab at them). You can even make your kids your ‘fashion accessories’ by dressing them in handsome outfits. *wink*

4) Make sure you keep exercising even after having children. It helps keep you in shape and can also be a good bonding time for you and your children. Here, Dawn demonstrates the ‘Superman’ exercise. You can also do squats together with your kid – work those thighs (especially the inner thighs)!

5) When using a BB cushion, use light, patting motions instead of spreading the product onto your face! Use a cream blush and apply it a bit higher than usual for a more youthful look!

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To find out more about the featured products, episodes, and contests, head over to

It’s the last episode of Season 2. 😦 I was rather surprised the crew didn’t bid us adieu in this episode, making me hopeful there’s a next ep. But there’s no preview for another ep on the official website so this is it, I guess.

This episode is about elegance, so, if you have learnt nothing at all from the entire season, at least get some final tips on elegant hair and attire from gurus Keith Png and Wu Yi Lin.

It came as a shock to see Lina cry in this episode. But she’s been an actress since forever, really. (I used to watch her in City Beat – who remembers that?) So I’m not sure if she was really moved to tears by just a change of hairdo. Hmm.

Yi Lin gave her a low ponytail look, which I’m not exactly in favor off. Cos she looks matronly both before and after. Haha! But I love the tip of using a blusher brush to get hair spray onto her hair, and tidying up the loose ends, instead of spraying it on directly from the can.

Keith was super embarrassed during this segment, but still managed to get Silver to get a change of bra, and introduced Triumph’s new Forever Young collection.

Also, I loved how he showed us examples of outfits which look good but need not cost very much, such as this gown going for just $36:

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For Kelly’s new hairdo, Yi Lin recommended that she use a hair thickener or mousse, and that she must choose the right styling products if she doesn’t want to use too many bobby pins.

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As for Cheryl, she wears black outfits to work thinking it represents power and authority. However, the color looks too stern and lifeless on her. Keith puts her in an absolutely gorgeous outfit from Ted Baker instead, and she looks stunning! I love the splash of color and those floral pants (though I don’t think they’ll suit everyone!) 😀

Also, Keith helped her accessorize with pearl earrings and bracelet, and a crystal-studded watch from Swarovski. I love the whole look. Keith is truly a fashion genius!

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Candyce looked like a disaster before her hair makeover. Because permed hair gets frizzy easily, use hair wax to tidy the look.

She looks so much better after the makeover! 😀

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Well, that’s it for the entire season! I’m not sure if there’ll be a third season. But I love the changes this season – subtitles, fitness tips, featured product lists, etc. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, ladies!

{ For a list of all the products featured in this episode, click HERE }

Pauline Lan admits to going to the doctor’s for a bit of help with retaining her youthful looks. But for the rest of us who do not wish to go under the knife or get any injections, what sort of pills, potions and lotions can help us look “forever young”?

The gurus Bryan and Kevin make their recommendations – from hydrating gels to Tibetan yoga postures. Whether you have dry skin, rough skin, matured skin, hyper-pigmentation or fine lines, this episode of Lady First Singapore can help you!

Dry Skin

Kevin recommends that the 3 things we must do is to cleanse, moisturize and protect our skin. He raved about the Astalift Jelly Aquarysta, a hydrating gel that contains nano-Astaxanthin, nano-Lycopene, nano-Ceramide, collagen, and with 1000 times more anti-oxidizing effect than Q10.

Available at Astalift stores (ION Orchard #B3-66, #JEM 01-20) at S$148 for 40g OR in a Trial Kit (inclusive of 15g of jelly) at just S$60 *I called the ION store to check the pricing on 21/8/14*

Rough Skin

Charlyn has had skin troubles since giving birth to her kid. And Bryan recommends eating the locally-grown bananas, available only at Little India. Steam the bananas just like you would steam sweet potatoes. According to him, they are very nutritious.

Also, he recommends the Riiviva Microderm skin-resurfacing tool which can reduce fine lines and the appearance of dark spots. Avoid using this tool on areas with acne, wounds or if you have eczema. Go over any one spot with the tool just once. At the end, gently press on some soothing rose lotion and avoid any rubbing. Follow up with any product containing aloe vera or collagen.

Fine Lines

Kevin recommends the Nuxellence Youth and Radiance Revealing Fluid, which contains more than 10 floral extracts. Apply immediately after cleansing your face, spread it out with your fingers then massage it in, moving your hand in an upward motion from side of nostrils to temples, for an instant face-lifting effect. In 28 days, fine lines will be reduced by 93%, according to Kevin!

Hyper-pigmentation

Candyce says she drinks the Wen Ken Three Legs Pe Pa Kao as it is “helpful in relieving sore throats, reduces phlegm and nourishes the lungs”. Bryan says it is recommended to take a teaspoon of it with warm water every night.

He also recommends some yoga stretches, as usual.

Give yourself 8 minutes of ‘me’ time / relaxation time every day to purify your body and mind. Eat some dried fruit, light a beeswax candle, and wear a silk scarf scented with an essential oil. Apparently, wearing silk helps ladies feel relaxed and thus can contribute to the slowing down of the aging process. Also, read some positive-thinking books that make you happy, and have some of your favorite crystals next to you. Then try these:

1) Abdominal (deep) breathing

With a silk scarf around your neck, place your hands on your belly and breathe in deeply through your nose and let your breath out from your mouth.

2) Butterfly Stretch

With the scarf on your legs, flap your legs against the ground. It should produce a sound each time your legs come into contact with the ground.

3) Belly-shrinking Hip Rotation
Sit cross-legged on the floor and with your thumbs placed just under your ring fingers and clenched into fists, place them in front of your hip area. Rotate your hips in a circular movement five times while holding your breath. Keep your back and arms straight.

Matured Skin

A makeup look for people with matured skin:

1) Use a pearl base with a high moisture content, and which is not oil-based

2) Apply translucent foundation so the look isn’t cakey

3) Wear tinted sunscreen

4) Use a water-based under eye concealer (By Terry Touche Veloutee Highlighting Concealer) and pat it on gently.

5) Mix white and champagne-colored eyeshadow

6) Dab shimmer powder across your eyelids

7) Use eyeliner to fill the space between your lashes. To gauge where your eyeliner should end, imagine an extension of your double eyelid crease at the end corner of your eye – that is where your eyeliner should end

8) Use smudge-proof mascara

9) Use eyebrow powder for a less severe look. Straight brows are in this year

10) Apply a coral orange lip gloss as blusher with the help of a sponge

11) Pick a subtle rose-colored lipstick

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Remember to leave a comment on my StarHub Community blogpost HERE if you want to win the Samsung K! Tag me @GraceTan in your comment! 🙂

This episode will likely rank as one of my top favs in the whole two seasons of Lady First Singapore! 😀 It’s all about bags! I can’t believe the team was so awesome as to put together an ENTIRE episode about bags! My goodness! They really know what women want! 😀

A long time ago, I started an online blogshop selling bags (and the store’s called ‘Bagging Rights’) because I thought it made more sense than selling shoes or clothes because the latter come in many sizes and you’d have to keep so much stock! But with bags, it’s one size fits all, no?

Still, there’s so much to note with regard to having the bag match your body shape (e.g. don’t carry an over-sized bag if you’re petite) or personality, and how to care for your branded bags!

In this episode, the gurus Keith and Kevin introduce bags from Saint Laurent, Longchamp, Fendi, Loewe, Ferragamo, and more. Check out the list here.

I have realized that when I carry bigger bags, I tend to put more things into the bag, and it really weighs down on my shoulder and causes aches and pains! So I now try to carry backpacks for a more even weight distribution, or carry smaller bags.

I LOVE the Saint Laurent Sac de Jour Bag in baby pink. It’s just so pretty! Here I am with the same bag in red…

Pretty eh? 😀

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Here are some tips from the show regarding accessorizing with bags, and for bag care:

1) Cleaning your branded bags: use lens cleaning cloths without fibres as fibres might stick to the bag’s surface. Do not use newspapers to clean your bags as the ink might get transferred onto your branded bag! Always pat dry instead of rubbing off any residual moisture.

2) Crossbody bags are ‘hot’ right now, and bags in a blue-green shade are trending!

3) If your bag has a chain, clean it with a lens cleaning cloth when you are home so as to prevent bacterial growth on the chain which has come into contact with sebum from your skin. Also, do not store your bags immediately in a cabinet. Let it ‘air’ for a bit after you get home.

4) Adjust the length of the straps to suit your height:

5) Use tassels and bag charms to jazz up plain-looking bags:

6) You can even transform your bags using necklaces and earrings! Talk about recycling! 🙂

The famous Karl Lagerfeld bag charms made from mink, fox and goat furs:

The amount you’ll spend on one of these is enough to buy you a branded bag. 😉

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All I want now is an episode on shoes or watches. 😀 Hehe!

Remember to leave me a comment on my Lady First Blogpost on StarHub Community (Click HERE) if you want to win a Samsung K! 😀 StarHub is also giving away $50 in shopping vouchers weekly! Just tag me in your comments! 🙂